After being Sahuayo for three and a half straight months, I felt like my prison sentence had ended. I don’t need to reiterate my thoughts about Sahuayo, as I’ve already done that in previous posts. When I got to Guadalajara, I was immediately confronted with all the conveniences and services I’m accustomed to: Wal-Mart, Outback Steakhouse, Circuit City, car dealerships, Office Depot (Best Buy will open a store here next year, according to Poder y Negocios). You can get whatever you want in Guadalajara. Even so, just 40 years ago it was a the quiet capital of Jalisco. Today, it’s a modern metropolis, and the second largest city in Mexico (a distant second; Guadalajara has four million people; Mexico City has close to 30 million).
I started my first day in downtown to see the cathedral, which is surrounded by the Plaza de las Armas, the Plaza de La Liberacion, and the Plaza de Los Laurels. Two earthquakes destroyed within the span of 70 years. I continued along Calle Hidalgo, which was closed today for runners, cyclists, and pedestrians until 2:00. I walked all the way to the arch, Minerva, and the traffic circle behind it. On the way back towards downtown (el centro), I walked down Avineda Juarez. I felt like I was walking down New Hampshire Ave. Ritzy homes, book stores, and outdoor cafes lined the street. There were modern shopping centers and beautiful new buildings.
I stopped at the University of Guadalajara, in front of which were strange statues of insects and spiders. Some of my teenage students aspire to go to this school. Two blocks away was another church, the Expiatorio. Like the main cathedral, there was a large plaza in front. Other churches in the city include the Templo de San Juan de Dios, the Templo de San Francisco Neri, the Capilla de Aranzazu, and the Templo de Santa Monica. I walked through Mercado Libertad, which was three stories tall, and where vendors sold trinkets, dolls, shoes, watches, etc. In the middle of the market is the Plaza de Los Mariachis.
The next day I went back to downtown with Ruben, the nephew of Jesus, my student and friend. Ruben showed me the Parroquia of San Juan de Dios, the Teatro Degollado, a splendid five-story theater built in 1866 that seats 1400 spectators. The interior is red and velvet, and its celing is painted with Dante’s Divine Comedy. We continued to the Plaza de La Liberacion, the Placio de Gobierno, and the Plaza Taptia.
Next to the Plaza Tapatia is the Instituto Cultural Cabanas, the largest colonial edifice in all the Americas and a World Heritage Site. It’s over 200-years-old now. Apparently I hadn’t seen everything. Only later did I find out that underneath Guadalajara is a network of road tunnels. Since I didn’t drive, I never used them.
After being Sahuayo for three and a half straight months, I felt like my prison sentence had ended. I don’t need to reiterate my thoughts about Sahuayo, as I’ve already done that in previous posts. When I got to Guadalajara, I was immediately confronted with all the conveniences and services I’m accustomed to: Wal-Mart, Outback Steakhouse, Circuit City, car dealerships, Office Depot (Best Buy will open a store here next year, according to Poder y Negocios). You can get whatever you want in Guadalajara. Even so, just 40 years ago it was a the quiet capital of Jalisco. Today, it’s a modern metropolis, and the second largest city in Mexico (a distant second; Guadalajara has four million people; Mexico City has close to 30 million).
I started my first day in downtown to see the cathedral, which is surrounded by the Plaza de las Armas, the Plaza de La Liberacion, and the Plaza de Los Laurels. Two earthquakes destroyed within the span of 70 years. I continued along Calle Hidalgo, which was closed today for runners, cyclists, and pedestrians until 2:00. I walked all the way to the arch, Minerva, and the traffic circle behind it. On the way back towards downtown (el centro), I walked down Avineda Juarez. I felt like I was walking down New Hampshire Ave. Ritzy homes, book stores, and outdoor cafes lined the street. There were modern shopping centers and beautiful new buildings.
I stopped at the University of Guadalajara, in front of which were strange statues of insects and spiders. Some of my teenage students aspire to go to this school. Two blocks away was another church, the Expiatorio. Like the main cathedral, there was a large plaza in front. Other churches in the city include the Templo de San Juan de Dios, the Templo de San Francisco Neri, the Capilla de Aranzazu, and the Templo de Santa Monica. I walked through Mercado Libertad, which was three stories tall, and where vendors sold trinkets, dolls, shoes, watches, etc. In the middle of the market is the Plaza de Los Mariachis.
The next day I went back to downtown with Ruben, the nephew of Jesus, my student and friend. Ruben showed me the Parroquia of San Juan de Dios, the Teatro Degollado, a splendid five-story theater built in 1866 that seats 1400 spectators. The interior is red and velvet, and its celing is painted with Dante’s Divine Comedy. We continued to the Plaza de La Liberacion, the Placio de Gobierno, and the Plaza Taptia.
Next to the Plaza Tapatia is the Instituto Cultural Cabanas, the largest colonial edifice in all the Americas and a World Heritage Site. It’s over 200-years-old now. Apparently I hadn’t seen everything. Only later did I find out that underneath Guadalajara is a network of road tunnels. Since I didn’t drive, I never used them.
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